In 2018, Madden garnered critical acclaim and international prominence for his leading role as David Budd in the record-breaking BBC thriller Bodyguard, with the overnight broadcast of the series 1 finale on BBC One peaking at 11 million viewers.[1] He is set to play John Reid in the upcoming Elton John biographical musical Rocketman (2019).

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Madden was born on 18 June 1986[2] in Elderslie, Renfrewshire, just outside the town of Paisley and the city of Glasgow, where he was brought up, with older and younger sisters. His mother, Pat, is a classroom assistant, and his father, Richard, is in the fire brigade.[3][4]

At the age of eleven, Madden joined the youth theatre programme at Paisley Arts Centre to help overcome his shyness.[3] He was soon cast as young Andy in the film adaptation of Iain Banks's Complicity; he was then cast in the lead role of Sebastian in the children's television series Barmy Aunt Boomerang,[5][6] for which he filmed six episodes that aired from 1999 until 2000.

Between 12 May and 13 August 2016, Madden appeared on stage in London's West End playing the part of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, where he was reunited with his Cinderella costar Lily James, who played Juliet, and director Kenneth Branagh.[17] Richard was replaced as Romeo in July 2016, after suffering an ankle injury.[18]

In 2010, The Scotsman touted Madden as "one of the hottest young acting talents in the business". They also noted that Madden is "tipped for mainstream glory this year" due to his upcoming roles in the film Chatroom and TV series Game of Thrones. He won Most Stylish Male at the Scottish Style Awards in October 2009 and was also named in Esquire's Hottest Stars for 2010.[13]